Religion Dispatches
Shea helped the worshiping faithful understand the purchasing power of Christian consumers as an extension of their piety; as form of devotional practice that encompassed the ordinary pleasures of music entertainment.
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Who knew it would turn out that the NFL has a thing or two to teach the gospel church about love, acceptance, and the struggle to overcome in a world of injustice?
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Why is a gay secular humanist academic who left the world of orthodox fundamentalist evangelicalism half a life time ago still singularly captivated by Southern gospel music? Why, in the book’s terminology, have I been a Southern gospel sissy lo these many years since evangelicalism ceased to otherwise be a functional worldview for me? And why am I still proud and happy about it? Turned outward, the question becomes: What is it about the music that supports so many various affections and attachments?
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Most insiders to this world are privy to the open secret of gospel’s deep reliance on the contributions and influence of gay men and women. But Heilbut opens wide the closet doors and peers in with the bright light of righteous outrage for the plight of the children in an increasingly homophobic religious culture, while also bringing a deeply felt sensitivity for the stories of the children and their musical sensibility. As he writes: “It is impossible to understand the story of black America without foregrounding the experiences of the gay men of gospel.”
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Remember the movie Joyful Noise, the Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah flick about a small-town gospel choir from the South competing for national recognition?
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So, about that Chrysler “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl ad with Eminem. Not too long after I first saw the spot on the internet, I started thinking about how the pop-culture ubiquity of the black gospel choir belies its complicated cultural capital.
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The queer legacy of Christian music, whether it’s gospel or contemporary, runs deep. But when a gay musician like Jennifer Knapp comes out publicly does she sacrifice her career?
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What looks like discussion about deductibles and co-pays, preventative treatment, and end-of-life care, is really about something else entirely. And then there’s all the yelling.
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